Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Lectures on the History of Philosophy', 'The World' and 'Actions'

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5 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined

21757	Philosophy is the conceptual essence of the shape of history [Hegel]
	Full Idea: Philosophy is the supreme blossom - the concept - of the entire shape of history, the consciousness and the spiritual essence of the whole situation, the spirit of the age as the spirit present and aware of itself in thought.
	From: Georg W.F.Hegel (Lectures on the History of Philosophy [1830], p.25), quoted by Stephen Houlgate - An Introduction to Hegel 01
	A reaction: This sees philosophy as intrinsically historical, which is a founding idea for 'continental' philosophy. Analysis is tied to science, in which the history of the subject is seen as irrelevant to its truth. Does this mean we can't go back to Aristotle?

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / d. Secondary qualities

22593	Our sensation of light may not be the same as what produces the sensation [Descartes]
	Full Idea: There can be a difference between our sensation of light and what is in the objects that produce that sensation in us.
	From: René Descartes (The World [1631]), quoted by Ian Dunt - How to be a Liberal 1
	A reaction: Note only that they 'may' differ, and that he does not assert that they are entirely different. Secondary qualities give information, and are not just mental events.

20. Action / A. Definition of Action / 5. Action as Trying

20082	Bodily movements are not actions, which are really the tryings within bodily movement [Hornsby, by Stout,R]
	Full Idea: Hornsby claims the basic description of action is in terms of trying, that all actions (even means of doing other actions) are actions of trying, and that tryings (and therefore actions) are interior to bodily movements (which are thus not essential).
	From: report of Jennifer Hornsby (Actions [1980]) by Rowland Stout - Action 9 'Trying'
	A reaction: [compression of his summary] There is no regress with explaining the 'action' of trying, because it is proposed that trying is the most basic thing in all actions. If you are paralysed, your trying does not result in action. Too mentalistic?

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / f. Ancient elements

16569	The Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry of the philosophers need themselves to be explained [Descartes]
	Full Idea: If you find it strange that in explaining these elements I do not use the qualities called Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry - as the philosophers do - I shall say to you that these qualities themselves seem to me to need explanation.
	From: René Descartes (The World [1631], 9:25-6), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 1.3
	A reaction: Nice. I take pushing the boundaries of explanation back (or down) to be the basic driving force of all human thought, in metaphysics as well as in physics.

27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / b. Laws of motion

20964	Descartes said there was conservation of 'quantity of motion' [Descartes, by Papineau]
	Full Idea: Descartes incorporated the conservation of what he called 'quantity of motion', by which he meant mass times speed.
	From: report of René Descartes (The World [1631]) by David Papineau - Thinking about Consciousness App 2
	A reaction: Mass times velocity is now called 'momentum'. Is this the first ever conservation law? There are now lots of them.